1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a filter connector, and more particularly to a support construction of a filter element therein.
2. Description of Related Art
It is known that a conventional filter connector has a construction as illustrated in FIG. 7. The filter connector 1 comprises a housing 2 which is made of an insulating resin material and formed in an elongated shape having a rectangularly-bent section shape, and a plurality of connector terminals 3 which are mounted apart at a specified distance in the lengthwise direction (the direction perpendicular to the surface of FIG. 7) of the upper portion 2a. Around each of the connector terminals 3 is provided a through capacitor 4 whose internal electrode is fixed thereto by means of soldering.
Each through capacitor 4 is fixed to a ground (support) plate 8 made of a metal material in a manner where the stepped portion 7 which is located between a small-diameter portion 5 and a larger-diameter portion 6 of the exterior of the through capacitor 4 is pressed by the upper portion 8a of the ground plate 8 which is formed in an elongated shape having a rectangularly-bent section shape. Around each through capacitor 4 is provided an external electrode as being fixed to the ground plate 8 by means of soldering. Both the lateral free ends 8b of the ground plate 8 are formed to have reversed bent edges 8c are engaged with corresponding notches 2c provided at either side portion 2b of the housing 2. Ordinarily, the soldering between the internal electrodes of the through capacitors 4 and the connector terminals 3, and the soldering between the external electrodes of the through capacitors 4 and the ground plate 8 are performed at the same time.
In the above-mentioned conventional filter connector 1, despite the fact that there is a significant difference between the thermal expansion coefficient of the housing 2 made of a resin material and that of the ground plate 8 made of a metal material, the through capacitors 4 are firmly fixed to both of them. This means that the through capacitors 4 hinder the mutual displacement between the resin housing 2 and the metal ground plate 8 despite the fact that such mutual displacement occurs due to the difference in the thermal contraction or expansion rate. Therefore, the hindrance of mutual displacement incurs the generation of internal deformation force in the through capacitors 4, which also results in such a problem that the electrodes of the through capacitors 4 come off, or sometimes the through capacitors 4 themselves are destroyed.